Zocor Medication Side Effects – How far will they damage your precious body?
What are the Zocor Medication side effects? How far will they harm you? Is there a way to eliminate the side effects? If not, how about an alternative?
As per all the cholesterol drugs, Zocor side effects can affect your body. To know the Zocor bad side effects, first you must understand how Zocor works.
Zocor is the brand name of Simvastatin, a lowering cholesterol drug. It is part of statins, a group of drugs for lowering cholesterol, which inhibit the HMG-CoA reductase, a liver enzyme which is a crucial part of cholesterol synthesis in your body.
By doing this, Zocor is trying to lower your total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides. It can slightly increase HDL (good) cholesterol and FDA has approved it since 1991 to use as cholesterol lowering drug.
What are the Zocor Medication Side Effects?
To make it simple, find the side effects listed in the following table. It is advised to seek medical help in case you notice the side effects, do not wait longer.
|
Zocor
side effects
|
Signs
|
How
to handle?
|
|
Allergic reactions
(acute
– when you take the medicine)
|
- Difficulty
in breathing;
- Rashes
or hives;
- Face,
lips, tongue, throat get swollen.
|
1-
Stop
taking the medicine.
2-
Seek
emergent help.
|
|
Common
side effects
|
- Gastro-intestinal problems:
Stomach - heartburn; stomach pain or upset;
bloating; gas;
- Unusual Bowel
movements –
Diarrhea or constipation;
nausea.
|
1-
They
can be tolerated.
2-
In
case not, seek medical help.
|
|
Muscle
problems
|
Muscle
pain – common
The
triad = muscle pain +weakness + tenderness = Rhamb domyolysis or
Myopathy
|
1-
Patients
are warned for muscle problems before taking the drug
2-
If
the triad symptoms are noticed, seek medical help.
|
|
Zocor
side effects Liver problems
|
- Liver enzymes will raise
- Jaundice (skin or eyes turn yellow due to damaged
liver)
- Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver with signs of
tiredness or feeling of being ill)
- Hepatosteatosis (fatty liver)
- Cirrhosis
(a complete damaged liver with no turn back)
|
1-
Liver
test must be regularly repeated
2-
Lower
the dose of Zocor.
3-
If
no changes, shift to another alternative.
|
|
Loss
of memory or other brain damages
|
Signs
of memory loss or dementia or depression.
However, studies have not
determined this link yet.
|
1-
Lower
the Zocor dose
2-
Shift
to another alternative.
|
|
Zocor
and weight gain
|
Not usual.
|
If
present:
1-
Do
more exercise.
2-
Avoid
drinking alcohol or smoking.
3-
Follow
your lowering cholesterol diet.
If
still persist:
1-
Lower
Zocor dose
2-
Shift
to another alternative.
|
|
Drug
interactions: Interfere the metabolism of the drug in your body.
|
Amiodarone
; Verapamil; Cyclosporine – negatively change the metabolism of Zocor
in your body.
|
1-
Inform
your doctor if you’re taking one of these drugs.
2-
Do
not drink grapefruit juice or take any grapefruit products – they raise
Zocor levels in your blood – causing severe muscle problems.
|
|
Zocor
and pregnancy
|
·
Harm your baby
|
NEVER
TAKE IT WHILE PREGNANT!!!!
TALK
TO YOUR DOCTOR IF YOU’RE TAKING IT AND BECOME PREGNANT
|
Zocor medication side effects – Alternative choices
If you are suffering from one or all side effects of Zocor, there are some alternate medicines you can take.
1- Within the same statins group: lovastatin, sosuvastatin calcium or atorvastatin calcium.
2- Other groups of lowering cholesterol drugs (fibrates (Tricor, Lofibra, Lopid); bile acid sequestrants (Questran, Prevalite, Colestid); Nicotinic acid (Niaspan, Niacor); Inhibitors of cholesterol absorption (Zetia)).
Don’t forget the TLC (therapeutic lifestyle changes); the natural and no side effects alternative for your high cholesterol to avoid Zocor medication side effects or any other drugs fastidious side effects.
NATURE REMAINS ALWAYS NATURE! WE ARE A CRUCIAL PART OF IT! LET'S ENJOY AND GET THE BENEFITS!
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